No. 19 USC faces No. 7 Arizona on the road


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Junior guard Boogie Ellis eyes the defense during USC’s win against UC Berkeley last Saturday.
Junior guard Boogie Ellis eyes the defense during USC’s win against UC Berkeley last Saturday. Ellis had a season-high 21 points in the victory. (Vincent Leo | Daily Trojan)

The Trojans, despite losing again to Stanford last week, have a relatively successful away record, winning five of their six conference games outside of Galen Center. After the narrow 58-53 victory over Arizona State Thursday, USC will look to finish the Arizona road trip unscathed. 

The Wildcats boast a 7-1 conference record marked with an unbeaten home streak as they remain undefeated in Tucson after four matchups. Arizona started the Pac-12 season on prolific form, quickly managing a 6-0 start before losing against the Bruins 75-59 on the road last Tuesday. 

Arizona’s sophomore guard Bennedict Mathurin will look to return to form after an efficient game against Arizona State last Saturday. Mathurin had 14 points, but was 0-for-8 from three and 5-for-16 from the field, a far cry from his conference averages of 17.2 points and 45.7% and 36% from the field and 3-point respectively. 

Junior center Christian Koloko performed well off the bench in the Wildcats’ win over Arizona State, posting up a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds. Koloko averages 13 points and 7.5 rebounds this conference season. 

With the key road matchup ahead, Head Coach Andy Enfield praised USC’s performances away from Galen Center. 

“Arizona is obviously ahead of us in the standings and they are extremely good at home,” said Enfield in an interview with the Daily Trojan. “We have been good on the road … We have to continue to handle the adversity when we travel, and I think our guys have done a great job so far.” 

The Trojans’ inefficient performances from beyond the arc have contributed to their losses this conference season, as they have scored at a 35% clip from 3-point field goals, compared to the more efficient 40% performances from their opponents. 

Volume 3-point shooters junior guard Boogie Ellis and senior guard Drew Peterson hope to impress from distance. Both have maintained a 39% and 57% rate, respectively, this conference season. 

Mobile junior forward Isaiah Mobley currently leads USC in points and rebounds per game. The 6-foot-10 forward averages 14.7 points and 7.5 rebounds per game on 44% from the field in conference play.

Mobley put up 24 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 0 turnovers while shooting 9-for-21 from the field in USC’s victory over UC Berkeley last Saturday. Mobley will look to continue performing as a ball-playing power forward/center. 

Despite not brandishing the most captivating stats, captain and junior guard Ethan Anderson contributed to USC’s victory over Cal with 5 assists — the highest among all players Saturday evening, without conceding turnovers.

Enfield praised Anderson’s playmaking attributes and defensive focus in USC’s home victory against Cal. 

“[Anderson] has always been very good defensively, very tough,” Enfield said. “He played a very smart floor game; he got us into some offensive sets when we needed to … Five assists with no turnovers and good defense will help you win a lot of games.” 

The Trojans will face off against the Wildcats in Tucson to cap off the Arizona road trip. Tip-off is Saturday at 2 p.m.